Pathways to Astronomy

Stephen E. Schneider

Chapter 18 Orbital and Escape Velocities - all with Video Answers

Educators

Chapter Questions

Problem 1

Calculate the orbital speed for a satellite $1000 \mathrm{km}$ above the Earth's surface, using the fact that $M_{\oplus}=5.97 \times 10^{24} \mathrm{kg}$ and $R_{\oplus}=6.37 \times 10^{6} \mathrm{m}$.

Andy Chen

Numerade Educator

01:00

Problem 2

At what distance would a satellite orbiting the Earth be geosynchronous (orbiting the Earth once every 24 hours)?

Joseph Petrullo

Numerade Educator

01:47

Problem 3

The escape velocity of the Sun can be considered to be the escape velocity of the solar system.
a. Calculate the escape velocity of the Sun at its surface.
b. Calculate the escape velocity of the Sun at the orbit of the Earth.

Farhanul Hasan

Numerade Educator

03:47

Problem 4

What is the escape velocity from the surface of an asteroid with a radius of $50 \mathrm{km}$ and a mass of $1.0 \times 10^{18} \mathrm{kg}$ ? (These are the approximate values for the asteroid Hekate.) If very good pitchers can throw a fast ball with a speed of 162 kph (or 101 $\mathrm{mph}$ ), could they throw the ball off the asteroid?

Sarah Mccrumb

Numerade Educator

01:59

Problem 5

What is the escape velocity from a galaxy at a radius of $50,000 \mathrm{ly}$ if the mass of the galaxy is $10^{12}$ times the Sun's mass?

Zachary Warner

Numerade Educator

01:48

Problem 6

Which body has a larger escape velocity, Mars or Saturn?
$$\begin{array}{ll}
M_{\text {Mars }}=0.1 M_{\oplus} & R_{\text {Mars }}=0.5 R_{\oplus} \\
M_{\text {Saturn }}=95 M_{\oplus} & R_{\text {Saturn }}=9.4 R_{\oplus}
\end{array}$$

Mayukh Banik

Numerade Educator